Reading, Pa. (Apr. 10, 2012) - Jack McCloskey, the head men's basketball coach at Alvernia University from 1991-2004, passed away Monday afternoon in Bonita Springs, Florida, after a five-year battle with cancer.

McCloskey is still the Alvernia career leader in wins for men's basketball with 227.  His .671 career winning percentage (227-111) ranks in the top 50 among Division III coaches.  For his accomplishments on the court and his contributions to the university, he was recognized as a member of the inaugural class of the Alvernia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

In 2004, the same year he retired, McCloskey was honored as an inductee into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.  Durign his 12 years as head coach at Alvernia, he coached the Crusaders to an ECAC Title (1995) and two PAC Titles (2000, 2003).  He guided the team to four NCAA appearances (1997, 2000, 2002, and 2003) and was named the 1997 PAC Coach of the Year.

“A true family man, Jack had a great capacity for friendships, many of them with former players and coaching colleagues. We are so fortunate that Jack considered Alvernia his second family,” said Alvernia President Dr. Tom Flynn.  “His passion for his beloved Alvernia was matched by his passion for basketball. He was a Hall of Famer, both on and off the court.”

McCloskey's roster for much of his first season included just six players and affectionately became known as the six-pack attack.  Together they put together an impressive 21-12 record with wins over the likes of Mansfield, Cheney, and Bloomsburg, and advanced to the second round of the Keystone Athletic Conference Playoffs. 

In 1992 McCloskey led Alvernia basketball into its membership in the NCAA and the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC).  He helped put the school and the city of Reading on the map in 1997 when his team advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four.  He coached teams to six 20-win seasons including the '97 team and each of the last three.

The '97 team qualified for the NCAA Championships with an at-large bid.  It was the team's first NCAA appearance and it made the most of it.  The run started with a 69-55 win over Lebanon Valley College at home then a 66-55 win at Goucher.  The Crusaders were back on the road the next weekend for two wins at RIT.  The first a 77-71 upset win over the host Tigers then an 89-84 decision over Salisbury St. that sent the Crusaders to the Final Four.

Alvernia came up just three points shy against Illinois Wesleyan in the national semifinal then lost to Williams by a point in the consolation game.

That fall McCloskey underwent heart surgery and needed to step away from the court for a season.  His son John, who played for his father and served as an assistant coach following his graduation from Alvernia in 1994, took the reigns and led the team all the way back to the PAC Final.  The family passion for Alvernia led John to become the Director of Athletics at Alvernia in 2001.  He has since moved up to Vice President for Enrollment Mangement.

Jack McCloskey's team qualified for the PAC playoffs in each of his 11 seasons at the helm and made the conference final in six of those 11 years.  He won his first PAC title in 2000 with an 88-72 win over Misericordia.  Three years later he was back in the winner's circle following an 80-73 win at top-seeded Neumann.

The '03 team defeated Mary Washington at home in the first round of the NCAA Championships—McCloskey was 3-0 in NCAA Tournament games at home—and, looking to capture some of that '97 magic, took the top-ranked team in the nation, Randolph-Macon, to overtime in the second round.

The '04 team was a PAC runner-up and advanced to the ECAC South Region Tournament.  After a sound defeat of Westminster College in the opener, 74-57, McCloskey coached his final collegiate game, a three-point loss to Lebanon Valley College in the ECAC semifinals played at DeSales University.

Jack McCloskey made playing basketball at Alvernia as much about personal development as it was about improving basketball ability.  His teams did community service projects long before it was commonplace.  They visited the children's wing of the Reading Hospital to bring gifts to ailing kids, and traveled to New York to lend a hand with cleaning and construction projects.

He raised funds for his 2002-03 team to travel to Hawaii for a week around Thanksgiving, and while they were there he took them to learn about Pearl Harbor in person.

Jack is survived by his wife Peg, an equally dedicated supporter of Alvernia University, and by his children: Meredith I. McCloskey, and John R., Jr., and his wife Kelly McCloskey, the current Women's Lacrosse Coach and Operations Manager at Alvernia. Also surviving are four grandchildren: Jack McCloskey, Ashley McCloskey, Luke McCloskey and Jace Bausher.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 11 a.m. in St. Margaret's R.C. Church, 925 Centre Avenue, Reading. A viewing will be Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. in Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., 739 Penn Ave., West Reading and Monday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be private in Gethsemane Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Alvernia University, Jack McCloskey Fund, 400 St. Bernardine St., Reading, PA 19607. Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhome.com.